I want to ask you to take a moment and look around your room. How many items do you see for your kids that were made by you, friends, perhaps bought at a fair or online. How many are homemade or made by smaller companies?

If your house is anything like mine then you have lots of wooden toys, handmade animals and stuffed items, wall decor, clothing, cloth diapers, shoes, hats, scarfs, car seat covers, the list could go on and on that were made by work at home parents or smaller companies. High quality items made with love and attention that no machine or oversea factory can duplicate.

Now all the beloved toys, shoes, pretty hair ties and amazing wall decor are in jeopardy of no longer existing as well know it. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) is beginning on February 10th, 2009 to enforce new testing laws. As I understand it the new laws will make it so that a hair bow that Sally Jane makes and sells for only $5 will cost her hundreds of dollars to have it tested for lead. Sally Jane uses ribbon and barrettes that she buys from hobby stores and crafts it into beautiful and cute bows for your little girls hair.

Now with this new test Sally would have to pay $75+ for that ONE bow to be tested. I don’t know about you but a $75+ bow for a little girls hair is a little much. It will cause numbers upon numbers of small businesses and hobbiests to no longer do what they love – loosing a source of income and even jobs for the larger of the small businesses. I’m hardely even touching on the snowball effect that this will have, not to mention the millions of dollars worth of product that is already made that will be retroactive under this new law that will be thrown into landfills.

Before I get into the time that I spent with my daughter, I want to thank all of my friends on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace who wished me a Happy Birthday. I’m privileged to have such awesomely-terrific friends!

As many of you know, over the summer my husband, son, and I moved to our farm in the Kentucky mountains. You see, in April 2008, my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given 18 months at the very best. We are a family of faith and rest on God’s promises. For that, we have great peace and are taking a pro-active approach to a cure. Because of the news that literally brought me to my knees, my husband made the decision that he wanted to spend his time on the farm. How could I deny him of that? So, without a second guess, I packed up everything (yes, even my 207 pairs of stilettos!) and we moved 722 miles away. With this move, I left my daughters behind.

Leaving my daughters was the single most difficult decision that I had to make. Brandi, my oldest baby girl, was on her own and Britni, my middle baby girl, was in her last years (Junior) of high school. Moving them to a rural location was not even a question. They are close to their dad and his family, so it made my decision a little easier (but only a little bit). You see, I’m a touchy-feely mommy and like to know what’s going on in my kids’ lives.

This past Christmas was pretty hard, since it was the first Christmas without them. It was a pretty weepy day for me. However, I talk to my girls 100 times a day and text message even more than that.

So when Brandi said that she was coming up for my birthday, you would think that I won the Kentucky Lottery! I thought my heart was going to leap outside my chest in excitement. I was counting down the days, the hours, the minutes, and the seconds for her arrival. Finally, the day came and my baby girl was here! Brandi, Vinnie (her boyfriend), and Juicy (my new grand-dog) was finally on the farm! I had three (3) full days to spoil them!

Thursday night, January 22nd, I was afraid to go to sleep because I didn’t want to miss them coming up the long drive. Plus, I was too excited to sleep. All night, I was pacing the floors, calling the cell to check up on them, making various dips for snacks, etc. I was so anxious for them to get here. At 5:30 a.m. (Friday) I woke my baby boy to get ready for school. Then at 6:20 a.m., I took him to the bus stop. Brandi wasn’t here yet!

At 7:00 a.m., I heard “beep-beep”…my baby girl was here! YAY!! After driving all night, she and Vinnie were so tired. They stayed up long enough to have a quick bite to eat and then they passed out for a few hours. Honestly, I laid down too…I was pooped! My grand-dog wasn’t too sure of me or my 65 pound black lab.

Around noon, the kids got up and Jules (they call him “Pop”) made lunch. My dad and stepmom came down to visit and we spent the next few hours getting caught up on things. I have to say, I really, REALLY like Vinnie. This is the second time that I’ve met him, but the first time that I really got to know him. He’s very good to my daughter, which is good because she can be a little high maintenance at times (obviously, gets that from her dad! Heehee!)

Later that afternoon, we decided to go hiking in the woods and cave exploring. We really have some great places to see and explore in mine & my dad’s own backyard. It’s amazing! Okay, to be honest the hike kicked my butt! Up and down the ‘hollers’ was intensive and proved that I’m out of shape. Urg! We spent the evening watching movies and snacking on chips & dip.

Saturday morning (my birthday) we decided to go to Bowling Green to yet another cave. This time an actual attraction. After the cave, we shopped, ate, shopped some more, and…well…okay, we ate some more too! Saturday night, we were in bed early. Totally pooped from two days of strenuous activities.

Sunday, my parents took us to Lake Cumberland Lodge for dinner. This place was gorgeous. We had our meal overlooking this incredible lake. The atmosphere was breathtaking, the food was delicious, and the company was priceless!

Sadly, before I knew it, it was Sunday night and my time with my girl was just about over. I begged them to stay a few more days. However, I knew they needed to return home and get back to their routine. So, this morning came, we kissed and said our goodbyes, and I watched them leave. I have to say, I was pretty weepy.

The last three days have been incredible. Vinnie is a great guy and I’m thrilled that he is in my daughter’s life. Juicy, my grand-dog (a min pin) is a hyper little thing (only 2 lbs) and hops around like a rabbit. I completely fell in love with her and spoiled her every chance I got. She loved “grand-mommy” because I would slip her bacon and sausage and chips and other goodies. My daughter would kill me if she knew. Hey, I’m grand-mommy…I’m allowed to do that!

Well, thank you for sharing this time with me. I wish each of you were here to enjoy our time together. Maybe next time! Just be sure to bring your hiking boots. 🙂

Winter weight gain is a common complaint of many people. It seems that every winter we add a few pounds, and come summer we don’t lose them all again either. A few of them always stick around, making us a little heavier every year. They seem to be very hard to lose extra pounds! Why does this happen and what can we do?

There are many contributing factors. First, it seems likely that we have a genetic disposition to store more fat as winter approaches. Many animals do this and it was probably vital to survival for our ancestors. Extra layers of fat on the body protect us against the cold and then can be used as fuel in the late winter and early spring when food stocks would historically be very low. We probably have a tendency to eat more in the fall, when food is plentiful after harvest time, to help this process along. We may also unconsciously choose foods that are higher in fat content at this time.

Hormone levels can also influence our weight gain. The interaction of hormones and other chemicals in the brain can bring about variations in appetite and cravings. Some neurotransmitters can also influence the way we eat. People who are overweight often have low levels of these neurotransmitters and the results can include excessive appetite, depression and sleep disorders. At the same time, the lack of daylight caused by the shortening days during late fall and winter can bring on seasonally affected disorder or winter depression.

One of the quickest ways to give a boost to the energy levels and emotions is to eat high carbohydrate foods including sugar treats, chips and cereals that give us a fast blood sugar ‘fix’. So people who feel low in the winter will tend to overeat or eat the wrong foods, leading to weight gain, more depression and a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

So altogether there are many reasons why we eat more high carbohydrate foods such as cookies, pies and chocolate in the winter, and of course most of these foods also contain high levels of fats. The best way to handle this is generally to substitute other foods that are also high in carbohydrate so that we get what our body craves, but which have low fat content and plenty of fiber. This means potatoes, wholegrain bread without butter, wholegrain rice, cereals, and fresh whole fruit.

It is also important to take more exercise. Often our physical activity levels drop in the winter and we have a tendency to want to stay home and rest. This is natural when it is cold outside. But we are not cavemen! We have heating in our homes and can be sure that there will still be plenty of food in the stores come February. We do not need to stow fat the way that they did. Sign up with a gym or get a stationary bicycle for the den. Transform those carbs into energy now instead of keeping it on the waistline until spring. Winter weight gain is easily avoidable this way.

Does Alli work as a weight loss pill? The quick answer seems to be yes, but there is a downside, so read on.

Alli is the over-the-counter name for orlistat which is also available in prescription form as Xenical. If you are going to ask for it you may like to know that it is pronounced like ally, not alley. It is essentially a fat blocker. It works by preventing the body from absorbing the fat from the foods that we eat, and it is the one freely available drug that has FDA backing for its claims to aid weight loss. You might think you could eat all the fatty foods you liked and then take Alli to negate the effect but sadly that is not true. It should always be used in conjunction with a low fat diet plan under the supervision of a doctor.

The amount of weight loss achieved with Alli is variable. In one study involving one-year clinical trials, between 35.5% and 54.8% of subjects attained a 5% or greater decrease in body mass, although we do not know how much of this mass was fat. Between 16.4% and 24.8% of the subjects achieved a 10% or more decrease in body mass.

In combination with a calorie controlled diet, the effects could be expected to be greater. It was also shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The participants regained an average of one third of the weight that they had lost after stopping Alli, but this is typical of most dieters.

The main disadvantage of Alli is the side effects which center around digestive and bowel problems. The higher the fat content in the diet, the greater these side effects are likely to be, as the undigested fat is expelled from the body. Flatulence, loose stools and bowel incontinence can result, especially in the early stages before the body is accustomed to the drug.

The manufacturer’s website warns, “You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it’s probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work.” You really need to want to lose weight to take Alli!

However these side effects are reduced if you stick to the recommended low fat diet and as the manufacturers hint, the potentially embarrassing side effects can even be helpful in encouraging you to keep to your diet. Always remember that Alli does not claim to work without consistent efforts toward weight loss from you.

What they do claim is that it can improve your weight loss by up to 50%. That would mean a person who lost 10 pounds without taking Alli would lose 15 pounds taking it. It boosts your weight loss and rewards your efforts with better results than you could get by yourself. Note though that individual results will vary and are not guaranteed.

Sadly there is no magic diet pill that will melt away your excess pounds while you sleep, but Alli is a pill that has documented results. If you are determined to lose weight and have been struggling with diets without much effect, it may be a good time to discuss it with your doctor and find out does Alli work for you.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) on Diva Talk Radio, we will be celebrating my birthday. No need to bring me gifts (unless it’s dark chocolate) because I will have gifts for YOU!

That’s right…you heard me…YOU will receive the gifts. I have several giveaways that will be announced LIVE on Diva Talk Radio.

January is Health & Wellness month for Diva Talk Radio, so all of the giveaways will be centered around having a healthy year. I have recipe books, health books, ebooks, and special special articles to give away.

So, come on over and enjoy the festivities. Be sure to wear you birthday hat and don’t suck the helium out of the balloons…okay, just a little bit but don’t tell anyone I gave you permission.

A: Absolutely! We love your feedback and want to hear from you. Send your show topic ideas to shows [at] divatalkradio dot com. Or simply go to http://DivaTalkRadio.com and fill out the contact form. Caution: Excuse our dust, we are currently revamping DivaTalkRadio.com to bring you a better and more exciting website. Make sure to wear your hardhat while your over there.

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment or zip me over an email.

Tomorrow’s show will only be 30 minutes, so arrive on time to get in on the giving.

I’ve just learned that one of our very own has had a tragedy in her family. Yesterday, Regina Smola’s son, Will, was still in bed when his roommate let him know their rental home was on fire. We are very grateful that the roommate was awake and home, as I would hate to think about the possible alternative. If the fire was not enough, his car had recently broke down and he just started to save money to purchase another one. Bless his heart!

Fortunately, Will was able to grab his laptop and a few clothes before running out of the home, however everything else was lost in the fire. This includes towels, sheets, utensils, toiletries, furniture, etc.

Let me tell you a little bit about Will. He’s 22 year-old young man, who is very loving, a wonderful big brother, works full-time, and has a huge passion for life. He also has a real passion for music. He started playing guitar when he was 2 y/o and hardly puts it down. He is now in a band and hopes to get signed one day. Growing up, Will was a very adventurous kid and smart. He always received good grades in school, making his mother very proud. There’s not a day that goes by that Regina doesn’t talk about her boys.

As you can imagine, Regina is extremely upset about this news and feels helpless because she lives so far from Will. Because this is such a great kid and works so hard for what he’s got, BriefcaseDiva & Diva Talk Radio has agreed to sponsor a Will’s Fire Fund. If you feel led to donate to the Will’s Fire Fund, please do so as it would greatly be appreciated. Or if you would like to contribute by purchasing household goods, please do so as well.

We have put a donate button as well as an Amazon Wish List for your convenience. If you would like to contact Regina personally, please complete our contact form and your message will be redirected to her personally.

Post a comment below and tell me what book you are wanting and why you want it.

Post another Tweet on Twitter, but this time say this “@krclaypool says @DuongSheahan ROCKS!” — you can add anything addition if you would like.

See, I told you it would be fun! 🙂

Since I have your undivided attention, please sign up for our exciting newsletter. You’ll need to do this at http://DivaTalkRadio.com. (please excuse our dust, we’re remodeling DivaTalkRadio) I promise not to bombard you with junk and will only provide you with wonderful information and upcoming guests to our show.